Funds will Support California Start-Ups and Small Businesses Achieve Short and Long-Term Goals
Sacramento, Calif. – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced grant awards to 84 recipients of the California Small Business Technical Assistance Expansion Program (SB TAEP). The state’s $17 million in new grant funding has been allocated to technical assistance centers serving traditionally underserved business groups, including women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses and businesses in low-wealth, rural, and disaster-impacted communities.
“California is home to the largest number and fastest growing start-ups and small businesses in the country doing everything from providing professional services to innovating next gen consumer products,” said GO-Biz Director Panorea Avdis. “This new grant program will give many of these small businesses the expert advice and tools they need to grow and maintain their ventures.”
SB TAEP was created as part of the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2018 / 2019 state budget to expand the capacity of federal small business technical assistance programs and services in California such as free or low-cost one-on-one consulting and low-cost training. GO-Biz worked closely with the Legislature to establish the grant program and is charged with implementing and administering the program.
“As Chair of the Jobs Committee, I am pleased to see that our state’s real job creators, our small businesses, now have greater access to services that help them expand their successful ventures and begin new ones on the right foot,” said Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva. “These grants will support the development of small businesses in California, and remove these businesses’ impediments to grow. This investment will make economic independence, and upward mobility, a reality for millions more Californians by cultivating the ingenuity and talents our best have to offer.”
Federal small business technical assistance centers are designated by federal funding partners to operate federal small business technical assistance programs throughout the state. These centers provide one-on-one, confidential consulting, and training to help small businesses and entrepreneurs start, expand, facilitate investment and create jobs in California. The SB TAEP provides state grant funding to expand consulting and training services provided by existing and new centers, including satellite offices.
“I am proud to have worked alongside my colleague Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, and GO-Biz, to champion significant funding to support California’s small businesses,” said Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes. “Small businesses are the cornerstone of California’s economy and it is imperative that we continue working to ensure that they have the resources necessary to thrive in our great state. I am especially excited to see that technical assistance centers in Riverside County, and throughout California now have adequate funding to provide essential services that support small businesses, specifically those owned by veterans, women, and minorities.”
Recipients of this year’s funding include:
Asian Business Institute & Resource Center (ABIRC)
Provides technical assistance to Southeast Asian businesses in Fresno County’s rural areas by offering language translation and direct services, including trainings on state and local requirements and procurement processes.
Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)
Provides financial management and marketing support to help former farmworkers and veterans establish and operate viable organic family farms in Monterey County.
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (Richmond Center)
Provides English and Spanish language services in low-wealth communities in eastern and western Contra Costa County, including comprehensive business planning courses in English and Spanish. Industry-specific training and consulting to businesses in the food, service, and makers/manufacturing sectors.
Veteran Business Outreach Center
Provides technical assistance to Veterans throughout the state in starting, sustaining, or expanding a small business. Services will include financial management, cybersecurity requirements, procurement, and social media and e-commerce marketing platforms.
Central CA Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Facilitates increased online/electronic consulting throughout the Central CA SBDC region. Expanded consulting and training services to small businesses throughout the region affected by current and future wildfires and other natural disasters.
El Pajaro Community Development Corporation
Provides programs and services to small and micro‐businesses from disadvantaged communities in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties. Services will include general business education, business development training, and access to capital services and for our farm and food‐based businesses, assistance with accessing new markets.
Norcal SBDC Tech Futures Group
Expands consulting efforts throughout the Norcal SBDC region to tech entrepreneurs who want to create scalable and high growth companies but lack the business experience, knowledge, and valuable investor contacts.
Norcal SBDC (Siskiyou Service Center)
Creates a traveling, remote satellite center to serve remote communities. The “pop-up” center will provide each community in the region with an SBDC for a day.
Visit the California Small Business Technical Assistance Expansion Program for more information or view the SB TAEP Awardees.
About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit, www.business.ca.gov.
Contact Information
Address:
1325 J Street, Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone: 1-877-345-4633
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